When guests come to Necker Island, all we tell them to bring is a swimming costume. Still, Beyoncé arrived once with 14 suitcases.

For our ‘dress up’ nights, we have sacks full of costumes. We’ve done Greek nights, pirate nights, toga parties — any excuse to get the girls to look good is the basic rule.

George Clooney has to be the most stylish man I’ve ever met. He was once asked, ‘Whose life would you swap with for the day?’ and he said he wanted to be me. I told my wife and she very quickly said, ‘We have a deal.’

I was once having dinner with Goldie Hawn and she had the most beautiful ring on her finger, a gift from her partner. I tried it on, it got stuck and I had to have it cut off the next day at a jeweller’s. She took it all in good spirit.

Why were ties invented? They are incredibly uncomfortable and make everybody look the same. If I’m doing speeches and things, to make people laugh, I’ll snip the interviewer’s tie off. I always keep a pair of scissors in my pocket.

I’m not very keen on bow ties, either. The other day I was asked to speak at a bow-tie event so I rang up the chief executive of Levi’s, who made me a beautiful denim version. I still had to get someone to tie it for me, though.

I wear jeans to work most days. I have four or five pairs of Levi’s that seem to last for ever.

Dressing up as an air stewardess after losing a bet with Tony Fernandes [owner of AirAsia and QPR] taught me a few things about women’s clothing. High-heeled shoes are torturous... but fishnet stockings make my legs look beautiful.

I never got into emulating other people’s style. We weren’t allowed to watch TV at home. My parents made an exception for the lunar landing in 1969 but otherwise we would be outside playing in trees or rescuing cats.

I spent a lot of my childhood in tight swimming costumes, paddling around a blow-up pool behind our cottage in Shamley Green, Surrey, with my sisters Lindy and Vanessa. We carried on wearing them well into our teens.

I felt at my most attractive when I first fell in love, at 15, with a beautiful Dutch girl who was on an exchange trip. I conquered the lady and I felt on top of the world.

My first major investment was spending four weeks-worth of pocket money on a Beatles wig to look like John Lennon. They were all the rage, but when it arrived in the post I looked stupid in it and realised I’d wasted the money.

Tennis is my way of getting fit but I don’t wear tennis whites. I prefer to dress casually on court in board shorts and a T-shirt.

Aside from a T-shirt, I rarely wear anything to bed. My motto is ‘Always be prepared’.

The Virgin Way — How to Listen, Learn, Laugh and Lead by Richard Branson is out now (Virgin Books, £20)